Category: Flash News

On April 18th, French President Macron posted on social media that representatives from the United States, Ukraine, as well as France, the United Kingdom, and Germany held talks on the Ukrainian issue in Paris that day, which were “positive and constructive”. Macron met with visiting US Secretary of State Rubio on the same day. On the same day, Rubio held a meeting with the foreign ministers of Ukraine, France, and the United Kingdom, as well as officials from the German Foreign Ministry, to discuss the Ukrainian issue. French Foreign Minister Barrow told the media that this is the first time the United States, Ukraine, and Europe have sat at the same table to discuss the Ukraine issue, and follow-up talks will be held in London, UK next week.

On April 18th, the second batch of highly anticipated pilot reforms for long-term investment of insurance funds has made new progress. On April 16th, Taikang Asset Management Co., Ltd. announced that its application to establish a wholly-owned private fund management subsidiary, Taikang Wenxing Private Fund Management Co., Ltd., has been approved by the State Administration of Financial Regulation. It is also reported that the relevant application materials for China Taiping Insurance to establish a private fund company have been submitted to the State Administration of Financial Regulation and are awaiting approval. The subsequent work related to the establishment of the fund is also being intensively prepared, and various tasks are currently progressing smoothly. In addition to the two institutions mentioned above, other insurance institutions that are piloting the establishment of private fund companies are also expected to make substantial progress.

On April 18th, 2024, the disclosure of annual reports entered its peak period, and the annual dividend plans of listed companies were successively released. As of April 17th, the latest total dividend amount has exceeded the 1.1 trillion yuan mark. Several other company shareholders have suggested implementing dividends to actively reward investors. Analysts say that with the launch of the new “National Nine Measures”, the attractiveness of A-shares for long-term funds is gradually strengthening, and dividend assets after the annual report are worth paying attention to.

On April 18th, according to the Houthi armed group, on the evening of the 17th local time, the US airstrike on Ras Issa Port in Hodeidah Province, Yemen has caused 17 deaths and dozens of injuries. The Saba News Agency, controlled by the Houthi armed group in Yemen, previously reported that the Yemeni capital Sana’a and Hodeidah province were hit by consecutive US airstrikes on the evening of the 17th. On the same day, the US Central Command issued a statement confirming the attack on the port of Las Issa located in Hodeidah province.

On April 18th, the United Nations Security Council issued a statement on April 17th local time, expressing serious concern over the escalation of violence in the Sudan region, especially the situation in El Fasher city and surrounding areas of Northern Darfur state. The statement strongly condemns the recent multiple attacks by the Sudan Rapid Support Force on El Fasher city and internally displaced persons camps. There are reports that the related attacks have caused at least 400 civilian deaths, including children and at least 11 humanitarian aid workers. The Security Council expresses deep concern about this and calls for accountability of the Sudan Rapid Support Force. The statement stated that the members of the Security Council reiterated the requirements of Resolution 2736, urging the Sudan Rapid Support Force to immediately lift the siege on El Fasher city, calling for an immediate ceasefire and easing of local tensions.

On April 18th, the Federal Reserve is advancing the reform of stress testing for large banks and has released a reform proposal for public opinion. According to the proposal, the results of future stress tests will be calculated based on a two-year average. The Federal Reserve announced in a statement on Thursday that it plans to postpone the effective date of the annual stress capital buffer requirement from the current October 1st to January 1st of the following year, in order to give banks more time to adapt to the new capital requirements. The statement also stated that the reform plan will provide targeted optimization and simplification of the data collection process related to stress testing. The Federal Reserve emphasizes that the planned reforms are not intended to have a substantial impact on banks’ capital requirements. However, Michael Barr, a member of the Federal Reserve Board and recently retired Vice Chairman of Regulatory Affairs, stated in another statement that he does not support the reform plan. He pointed out, “These changes may turn stress testing into a rigid formalism, providing a false sense of security to system resilience

On April 18th, according to the news released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the 17th, the Ukrainian military has carried out 10 rounds of attacks on multiple energy infrastructure in Russia in the past 24 hours, causing damage to power supply facilities including high-voltage lines and multiple substations, and causing power outages in some residential areas. Ukrainian President Zelensky announced on the 17th that a Russian drone attack on Dnipro on the evening of the 16th resulted in three deaths and damage to some houses and civilian infrastructure. In addition, Odessa, Sumy Oblast and other places have also been attacked by Russian drones.

On April 18th, the Colombian government announced on April 17th local time that it would suspend the ceasefire agreement with a branch of the former largest anti-government armed group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), called “Caraca”. However, this move does not mean the interruption or end of the peace talks process. The ceasefire agreement between the Colombian government and the former “Colombian” branch “Karaca” has been extended multiple times, with the latest ceasefire agreement ending on April 15th. Previously, all parties expected that this ceasefire agreement would be extended through negotiations.

On April 18th, the Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index closed down 0.42%. Popular Chinese concept stocks have fluctuated, with Alibaba rising over 2% and Ideal Auto and Pinduoduo rising over 1%; Xiaopeng Motors fell more than 2%, while JD.com fell more than 1%. Bawang Tea Ji’s US stock closed up 15% on its first day of trading.

On April 18th, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov had a phone call with US Secretary of State Rubio. According to the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rubio, who is currently on a visit to Paris, informed Lavrov about his communication with representatives from Ukraine, France, and other European countries, as well as with US Middle East envoy Vitkov. The relevant communication mainly involves the theme of bilateral consultations between the United States and Russia, including the recent conversation between Russian President Putin and Witkov in St. Petersburg. Lavrov stated that Russia will continue to work with the United States to effectively eliminate the fundamental causes of the Ukrainian crisis. Both sides also agreed to maintain contact between Russia and the United States in the context of a series of meetings between the US, European countries, and Ukraine next week. The statement from the US State Department stated that Rubio conveyed to Lavrov that the US has presented a “framework for lasting peace” to all parties involved. The statement states that peace is possible as long as all parties are committed to reaching an agreement. (CCTV News)